Newsletters
Any Turkish military forces sent to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement (MJDA) will be provided in line with Türkiye's Constitution and relevant laws, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Thursday.
"The process regarding the military forces and capabilities that may be provided by our country will be carried out in accordance with our Constitution and the provisions of relevant legislation," the ministry said after its weekly press briefing.
The statement follows Monday's emergency meeting in Riyadh, where Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan agreed to the "rapid deployment" of agreed forces to the kingdom.
The ministry said the alliance's Strategic Political and Defense Committee met in Riyadh on Oct. 5, where members discussed regional developments and collective defense measures.
"The initial structure of the Secretariat was determined, a framework for developing defense industry cooperation was discussed, and significant progress was made toward the institutionalization of the Alliance," the ministry said.
"The necessary measures for providing and deploying the agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia were discussed," it added, saying work on other political, administrative, military and defense industry mechanisms would continue in line with national processes.
The ministry also detailed a newly signed Defense Cooperation Roadmap with France, aimed at developing defense and security ties "on the basis of mutual interests" and giving existing cooperation "a more institutional structure."
The roadmap covers regular consultations, countering hybrid threats, intelligence sharing, closer air defense cooperation and improving system interoperability, according to the ministry. It also foresees joint training, war college exchanges, port visits and joint land, sea and air exercises.
Meetings will alternate between Paris and Ankara, with the first planned for the last quarter of 2026, the ministry said.
Defense Ministry spokesman Rear Adm. Zeki Akturk said a delegation from Türkiye's National Defense University was holding contacts at the Hellenic National Defense College in Athens from Oct. 7-9 under the Türkiye-Greece Confidence-Building Measures 2026 Implementation Plan.
"The new round of Confidence-Building Measures meetings is planned to be held tomorrow (Oct. 9) in Crete, and a delegation from the Hellenic Navy Command is planned to visit our Naval Forces Command between Oct. 13-15," Akturk said.
Akturk accused Israel of continuing house raids, arbitrary detentions, border violations and air and artillery fire in southern Syria.
"Its resumption of trench-digging and road-widening activities under the so-called Sufa-53 Line Project is a clear violation of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and an indication that it continues its expansionist policies," he said.
"We once again invite the international community to take concrete and decisive steps against these policies and actions of the Israeli government that prevent peace and stability in the region," Akturk said.
The briefing was held at the Golcuk Shipyard Command in Kocaeli, marking its 100th anniversary, as the ministry outlined the Mecca pact deployment process.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
